Preliminary registration for our simulation-based courses: 
Since these courses may not appear in Neptun by the time of the registration for elective courses, please indicate your intent for registration here: 
https://forms.office.com/e/smgtJyDwgC 

Please be informed that seats are limited, so the sooner you sign up, the more secure your seat will be. Furthermore, the registration of higher-year students is prioritized. 

Simulation-based medical communication training in cooperation with Columbia University 
together with the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy 

  • Recommended for 3-5th year students in the Hungarian/English/German Medicine and for 3-4th year students in the Hungarian/English Nursing programmes. 
  • 2 credits, 90 minutes/week 
  • Schedule and location: weeks 1-14 XDay, Xtime-Xtime (soon), City Corner Skill Lab (3rd floor, Üllői út 25.) – 1st lesson: XDay (soon) September 

The aim of the course is to provide linguistic tools for medical and nursing students to prepare them for interactions with patients, relatives and other healthcare professionals through simulation. After the first, introductory class, students will engage in simulated scenarios each week. Following the standards of Columbia University, instructors from both Semmelweis University and Columbia University will guide students through pre-written scenarios with the help of Columbia-trained simulated patients.  With special focus on compassionate communication, the course will cover the linguistic tools necessary for taking patient medical history, delivering bad news, explaining a change in lifestyle and handling emergency situations. Giving feedback and constructive criticism will also be practised during a debriefing session after each simulation. Verbal performances – both during scenarios and feedback-sessions –, and written performances in the form of journals and reflections will serve as the basis for evaluation and linguistic research:  the acquisition and use of linguistic tools to communicate difficult medical issues efficiently by non-native speakers of English might offer an insight into how important language is in healthcare, as well as into how foreign-language teaching of medical professionals could be improved in Hungary. 

Medical and nursing students will be able to select the appropriate linguistic tools to show empathy and compassion towards patients in emotionally charged and delicate medical situations. Students will gain experience in addressing the same medical issue to different personalities, and will be able to verbally handle unexpected reactions of patients. By the end of the course, students will be able to use a number of cohesive devices, give verbal reassurance to and calm patients, explain medical information to patients, adapt to patients’ needs and mood, and describe peer feedback process. 

Broad objectives: 

  • addressing the verbal component of giving bad news 
  • strengthening a patient-centered approach 
  • helping to manage uncertainty 
  • enhancing the use of linguistic components of doctor-patient communication 
  • gaining confidence during scripted, simulated scenarios 

Syllabus: 

Week 1 “Feedback” – Guest lecture by Anthony Young (CU) on feedback; Language focus: positive language, feedback forms 

Week 2 “Compassionate communication” – Guest lecture by Natalya Pasklinsky (CU) on compassionate communication, language use, establishing trust; Language focus: summarizing, time adverbs, sequencing 

Week 3 “Taking medical history” – Language focus: paraphrase information and questions 

Week 4 “Finding out more” – Language focus: tenses (past and present forms) 

Week 5 “Shared decision-making” – Language focus: eliciting, assertive communication, embedded and direct forms 

Week 6 “Arranging information” – Language focus: organization, structure of speech, transition signals, ordering points, linking adverbs; Guest lecture on breaking bad news 

Week 7 “Patient understanding” – Language focus: repetition (keywords), paraphrasing to avoid being monotonous (synonyms) 

Week 8 “Explanation” – Language focus: synonyms, metaphors, idioms, analogies 

Week 9 “Clarification” – Language focus: speech rhythm, syntax 

Week 10 “Uncertainty” – Language focus: apologizing, embedded structures, that-clauses, ellipsis 

Week 11 “Referral” – Language focus: argumentation, use of adverbs, adapting to a setting in which multiple speakers are involved 

Week 12 “Calming down” – Language focus: types of sentences (declarative-imperative-exclamatory) 

Week 13 “Shared decision-making” – Language focus: intonation, pronunciation 

Week 14 “Debrief” – Summary of the course; Evaluation; Student feedback 

Methods: 

Communicative language teaching (CLT) approach 

Neuro-lingusitic programming (NLP) 

Simulation* 

NCSBN simulation guidelines (National Council of State Boards of Nursing) 

Standardized Patient Scenario (Columbia University School of Nursing) 

INACSL standards (International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning) 

SPIKES protocol for bad news delivery nurse 

Calgary-Cambridge Guide 

PEARLS Debriefing Script (Columbia University) 

Plus/Delta method 

EPSCALE rating scale 

CAT 

*Scenarios will be chosen from a “Simulation Pool”. All scenarios are designed in collaboration with Columbia University, according to Columbia University standards, using Columbia University templates. 

 

Requirements: 

– 75% attendance 

– 2 simulations – as scheduled 

– weekly journals – 100-150 words summarizing experiences and knowledge gained during class. 

– 1 written reflection after the student’s second simulation 

Instructors: 

Dr. Rausch-Molnár Luca 

Dr. Fritúz Gábor 

Natalya Pasklinsky 

Anthony Young